Patents are intended to promote and reward advances in technology, but they can also be a nuisance to both startups and established companies if the patent owner uses the threat of burdensome litigation to coerce companies into paying licensing fees.

Traditional methods of determining project success take into account only whether the project met its budget and schedule. A more meaningful assessment evaluates the impact of the project on the organization.

Although deep learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, has become prominent only recently, it is based on concepts that are familiar to chemical engineers. This article describes artificial neural networks — the algorithms that enable deep learning.

Valves Durable Butterfly Valve Is Available in a Variety of Materials The Type-57P butterfly valve incorporates a full-seat and spherical-disc design that eliminates gaskets and prevents overtightening of the seat. Dual O-rings extend the life of...

Filtration and Separations Dust Filter Meets Sanitary Standards The Hygienic Round Top Removal (HRT) filter is a pulse-jet filter designed for dust collection in low-capacity pneumatic conveying systems. The unit has a top-hinged dome and uses snap-...

A Google search for “cybersecurity wake-up call” turns up more than 2 million hits; adding “industrial controls systems” narrows the search to a bit under 300,000 hits. So I hesitated when I wrote that headline, because I don’t want to come across...

Reflecting on a career in the oil industry that has spanned more than four decades, Steve Elwart, the Director of Systems Engineering at Ergon Refining, finds that many of the positive changes in industry have occurred on the human side of...

Water is one of the most important resources in the chemical process industries (CPI) — presenting both opportunities as well as compliance obligations. It is involved in a broad range of operations, including separations, product recovery,...

As opportunity crude usage increases, unexpected corrosion has become a major issue in piping and process units. Corrosion monitoring is a crucial part of maintaining the operational integrity of a refinery.

Chemical reactors have traditionally been designed to take advantage of economies of scale, which dictates that material costs typically decrease on a per-volume basis as the reactor is scaled up. In the April AIChE Journal Perspective article, “...

Most high-margin growth opportunities lie in high-grade specialty chemicals. To realize these opportunities, manufacturers are looking to distributed modular production facilities. Process intensification could help to enable these new technologies.

For more than 40 years, process intensification (PI) efforts in the U.S. have lagged behind those in other parts of the world. Europe has invested heavily in this research area, and both industry and academia have embraced advances in these technologies — particularly in the chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing areas, which have seen increases in productivity, energy efficiency, and sustainability. American manufacturing is now awakening from its long slumber and progress is on the horizon.

With a history that dates back to the 1970s, process intensification (PI) is not a new concept. Several developments have moved PI forward, but realizing PI’s full potential will require the concerted efforts of industry, academia, and government.

Instrumentation Adjustable Weights Simplify Balance Testing The standard line of adjustable cavity test weights simplifies routine balance testing in production environments. The weight cavity includes a threaded aperture that can be adjusted with a...

Many composition-based inventions stem from the discovery of useful but previously unknown properties of the composition. When such a composition is patented, infringers are often tempted to dismiss the patent as merely claiming inherent...

Pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) and temperature-swing adsorption (TSA) separate a specific gas species from a mixture of gases. This article explains how to evaluate the performance of an adsorbent for a given separation.

When designing a liquid-liquid extraction column, pilot plant testing generates the data necessary for accurate scaleup to the production rate. This article describes how to optimize pilot plant testing.

Heat Transfer Condensing Boiler Has a Flexible Design for Easy Field Access The Free Flex condensing boiler has a 95% thermal efficiency and a weld-free construction. The heat exchanger can be easily accessed in the field for cleaning. The boiler is...

The widespread adoption of lithium ion batteries for energy storage has driven a steep increase in the demand for lithium. As a result, lithium prices have surged, while lithium reserves have declined.